Loop pile fabric and method and apparatus for weaving same



May 4, 1943. 2,318,080

LOOP FILE FABRIC AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEAVING SAME w. R. KEEN Filed April 17, 1941 6 a M M 4 l 1 m a 4 5 1 4 7 4 6 v 0 4 I ,\m K 2 J I 1 ,4 4? I, A a a C Q W m mt m 0 1 0 1 I h. H a0 u I a v G 2 H m r m 1 F 2 2 2 O 3 Fl G. Ill 81 so 87 51 s INVENTOR WILLIAM ROLLINY KEEN %4% referred to.

Patented May 4, 1943 LOOP PILE FABRIC AND METHOD AND AP- PARATUVS FOR WEAVING SAME William Rollin Keen, Drexel Hill, Pa., assignor to Collins & Aikman Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application April 17, 1941; Serial No. 388,969

17 Claims. (01. 139 21) This invention relates to an apparatus for and method of weaving loop pile fabrics with longitudinal gauge wires extending'through the dents of the loom reed.

According to my improvements I may produce novel loop pile fabrics the loops of which are of graduated heights formed from a single pile warpyarn, and the all-over design of which includes loops of graduated heights both wa'rpwise and weftwise of the fabric.

I accomplish all these results in a preferred practice of the present invention by providing a set or sets of longitudinal gauges wires which are movable warpwise of the fabric and which have a plurality of weaving stages near one end of the wires. vanced at or less than the weaving rate or may be drawn forwardly by the cloth itself as the cloth is drawn forwardly in weaving. All or some i of the wires may be held stationary during prelinkages or fulcrum lever arms to crossmemloers to which my novel pile gauges are directlyor indirectly connected by means of flexible or rigid connections. When the connections are rigid,

the camsrnay operatethe gauges positively in both their forward and rearward movement.

Variations in the connections are contemplated and the illustrated embodiments are deemed to be the equivalents of those involving minor me.-

The wires may be positively addetermined periods of the weaving cycle or may be positively moved rearwardly of the loom to present a selected weaving stage to the weaving point or fell of the cloth. The Weaving stages of the wires may be formed by an inclined portion of the pile gauge wires or may be graduated in steps of different increasing heights toward the rear of the loom. If the gauge wire is inclined; an almost infinite number of pile .heights can be produced from a single pile warp.

I prefer to practice my improvements on a double shuttle loom in which two shuttles are thrown simultaneously to insert a loop-supporting weft and a ground weft. In this way two self-separating fabrics may be woven simultav neously or a single fabric may be woven, as will be more fully set forth. It is to be understood that a single fabric may be woven if it is'desired to produce results comparable to those obtained in the simultaneous self-separating weaving above Single fabric weaving also permits the pile loops to be formed over each pile-supporting weft without the necessity of pulling out Wefts to separate simultaneously woven fabrics.

While the use of a double weft carrier loom such as a double shuttle loom is preferred, my

improvements are not limited thereto and can chanicalchanges such as offsetting the ends of I the wires to provide a clearance for the move-. ment of the cross members. Alost motion may be provided between the crossmembers' and the" gauges by a flexible connection or b-yus'e of a cross bar which does not completely fill the slot' in the gauges, as will be more'fully described.

An object of my invention is to provide a loop pile fabric having loops of different; graduated v heights both warpwise and' weftwise ofthe fabric.

Another'object is to providefa method of weaving wherein pile gauges having a plurality of progressive weaving stages are moved within the fabric to vary the height of pile loops as the weaving progresses.

Another object is to provide a loom'havingfa" set or sets of progressively graduatedwarpwise extending pile gaugeswhich zontally within the fabric;

Another object is to providemechanism for I moving progressively graduated pile gauges within the fabric during weaving.

Another objectis to provide a novel longitu dinal pile wire having a plurality of progressive I weaving stages near their free ends.

5 Another object is to provide a method of weav 'ing and a loom employing two weft carriers to simultaneously insert wefts above and below non-sheddabl e longitudinal gauges having-a plurality of progressive weaving stages which are selectively presented to thefweaving point to determine the height of pile loops being formed.

These and other objects of invention will be manifest from the following description of'preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawing, wherein:

Figure I is a diagrammatic view of "suflicient loom parts to illustrate my invention.

be carried out for example on a,single shuttle loom or a single needle loom. I may do this by providing a short relatively'rigid end portion for my pile gauges, which portion is connected to a sheddableport-ion over and under which a shuttle, dummy shuttle, or needle may pass during weaving. retraction of the wire within the fabric being performed in a convenient manner.

According to my improvements a pattern mechanism or mechanisms Which, may take the form of a cam or cams is mounted rearwardly of the shedding harnesses on one or both sides of the loom. These pattern cams are connected as by Figure II is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modification of my invention.

Figures III and IV are illustrations of novel" longitudinal pile wires and their cross bars.

Figure V shows a novel sheddable gauge wire.

Figure V1 is a diagrammatic showing of .a portion of my novel fabric.

Referring to the drawing, in Figure I there is illustrated a portion of a loom havi g lay sword l0 carrying lay l I and reed l2 and having heddles l3, I4, I5, l6, l1 and i8, the layand heddles being driven and controlled by conventional means not shown.

are movable hori- Weft carrying shuttles l9 and 28 are shown in superposed position and may be picked simultaneously from the same side or from opposite sides of the loom to lay a weft 2| and a weft, 22 simultaneously in the upper and lower sheds respectively. Ground warps 23 and 24, and 25 and 26 and the-pile yarns form the sheds, as will be readily seen. fed from a supply such as cr'eels. Both the ground warps and pile yarns pass through the heddles and the reed dents in a known manner to form fabrics l and 2.

According to my improvements- (Figure I), I provide in a loom of the general conventional type above indicated, sets of non-sheddable longitudinal incompressible pile gauges or wires 29 and 30 formed of fiat strips sufficiently thin to pass through the reed dents. Theforward or free ends of these wires engage the loop supportingwefts of the fabric being woven and may project variable distances into the fabric beyond the fell line or point of weaving. i'

The wires weftwise across the fabric may be of different shapes andthe wires of each set may Pile yarns 21 and: 28 maybe small change in the wire movement to effect greater control. n

The two fabrics l and 2 are drawn to a side of the wires at the weaving point and the height of the loop is determined by the height of that portion of the gaug presented to the fell as the as used'in' weaving. I prefer that the extreme (Figure I) are slotted to be looped about a cross 7 bar traversing the loom. The end 3| of the cross bar is pivotally mounted'in turnbuckles such as 32 and 33. Each cross bar has a tumbuckle on both sides of the loom which is pivot- I ally connected to fulcrum levers suchas 34 and 35. The levers 34 and 35 are fulcrummed as at 36 and have cam followers such as 31 and 38 in contact with the surface of cams'39 and 40 mounted on shaft, which may revolve once in a predetermined number ofpickssuch as i4, 28 or 28. Springs 42 and 43, one end of each of which is fixed to a stationary part 44, keep the cam followers 31 and 38 in contact with the cam faces.

The pile wires Hand 30 are slotted as at 45 so that any wire may be used in either set. The slot permits the cross bar of the other set to move within the outline of the wires. A second slot (as in Figure III) may provide'a lost motion so that the wires of the set may be advanced by the cloth independently of the cams.

The pattern camsretract'the wires. If no lost motion is provided for, the cams (Figure'I) will of course positively control the wire movement both forwardly and rearwardly as in Figure, IV.

In structures similar to Figuresl andII, I prefer that the portion of the fulcrum levers conloops are formed.

Figure II illustrates single fabric double shuttle weaving in which a fabric 3 has adjacent loops over alternate loop supporting wefts. The sparing of the pile wires 58 and 5! of different sets may be varied so that wires such as determine the height of the loops of two or more next adjacent pile threads. It is to be understood that as in Figure I the layalways beats up to the same position. i

In Figure II the wire 50 has moved from: its extreme forward position to its extreme rearward position and back, the forward motion being caused by the cloth and rearward motionby the spring 68 together withthe pattern cams 52 one on each side of the loom. The wire 5| has had an opposite movement. The cams 521are fixed to turn with shaft 53 for a pattern repeat. Fulcrum lever 54 is fulcrummed at 55 and carries transverse rods 56 and 51, to which aseries of flexible wires 58 and 59 are connected. The

flexible wires 58 and 5 9 are connected to the individual wires 50 and 5|. A spring 68 fixed as at 6| to the lever 51 andfixed portion 62 keeps cam follower 63 on the cam face. The cam may provide slack in wires 58 or 59 as the wires connected thereto are advancing with the cloth if desired. The fabric comprises ground warps 63 and B4, pile warps 65 and 66 and ground wefts 6'1. Pile supporting wefts 68 may be removed.

Figure lII illustrates two types of weaving" stages in a pile wire .18. The inclined portion H and step 12 are near the straight end portion 13. A slot 14 permits movement of a' bar connected to another set of' wires andthe slot 15 is for providing positive motion in both or one direction depending on the size of cross bar actuator used.

A fiat cross bar '16 is shown within slot 14:

Bar 16 has extension H for connection to a turnbuckle. The bar 16 supports other gauge wires (not shown) in a manner that cross bar 18 having extension I9 supports and manipulates gauge wire 10. The slot 14 in wire 10 is relatively long,

as shown, and permits free movement therein of the cross bar 16 for its set of wires without producing a clash between the bar 16 and either end of the slot 14. It will also be noted that the cross bar 18 which withdraws a set of Wires comprising wire 10 contacts the rearward end of slot 15 in doing so. In such cases as the fabric draws the wire 10 forwardly the cross bar 18 must of course permit such movement without substantial interference. This is merely a matter of timing the movement of the actuator for the cross bar to position the cross bar 18 within the slot so that forward movement of the wire by the fabric is permitted.

Figure IV is similar except as to the Weaving stages. Thewire has step stages 8|, straight end portion 82, and slots 84 and 85 similar to 14 and 15.

tensions 81 and 89 respectively manipulate and [support the sets of gauges similarly. The bar 88 completely fills the slot 85 so that the wire 80 is positively moved in both directions without any lost motion. a

Figure V is a modified wire 98, the rigid part 9| of which is short so that flexible portion 92 Flat cross bars 86 and 88 having ex-.

may be shedded for tle.

In Figure VI there is shown a diagrammatic view of my novel fabric in which warps I and wefts I0! are interlaced to form a typical ground or base fabric, it being understood that the ground weave is merely illustrative. The pile loop s I03 from a single pile warp I02 are progres'sively higher or lower and the loops of different pile warps form loops of graduated heights in a weftwise line. The loops are identified as L for low, M for medium and H for high. The height of the loops can be varied by control of my pile gauges which may be moved within or with thefabric to produce a great number of patterns. The ground warps and wefts are preferably cellulosic such as cotton,'and the loops animal fibers or including animal fibers such as wool or mohair.

An adhesive may be applied to the backs of the fabrics of Figures I, II or VI. This will prevent the loops from pulling and in the case of Figure VI will secure the loops to the base fabric.

I prefer to use two pattern cams (Figure II),

proper insertion of the shutone on each side of the loom, and two fulcrum levers rather than a single cam and cam lever on one side and a lever joined by cross bars to the cam lever on the other side of the loom. It

is further to be noted that the pattern cams can be conveniently driven continuously by a simple driving gear or changegear arrangement or intermittently. It is apparent that the rate at which the cams rotate and their design may be widely varied and that such variations together with my novel pile loop gauges can form a multitude of novel patterns. The ground weaves can be varied and the wires may be conveniently spaced as desired.

In Figure II, which is a view from the inside I of the loom between the pattern cams, the wires such as 50 as hereinbefore stated support a por tion of a loop supporting weft at thesame level across a portion of the width of the fabric, In regard to Figure VI, it is of course to be under stood that the spacing of the greatly exaggerated,

Having described my inventionin preferred embodiments-I claim: I

1. In a loom having a reed and otlie'r means for making cloth, longitudinal pile gauge wires extending through, the reed dents, individual wires of said pile gauge wires having a plurality of weaving stages of different heights which may be predeterminedly positioned at thefell of the cloth during weaving, and means for moving the said individual gauge wires longitudinally of the cloth to position difierentt weaving stages of difwarps and wefts is' be predeterminedly positioned at the fell of the cloth during weaving, and means for moving the said individual gauge wires rearwardly of the cloth to position different weaving stages or different heights to thefell of the cloth at the predetermined times. 4. In a loom having Ia reed and'other means longitudinal pile gauge wires extending through the reed dents, individual for making cloth,

wires of said pile gauge Wireshaving a plurality of weaving stages of different heights which may be predeterminedly positioned at the fell'of the cloth during weaving, and pattern cam means connected to gauge wires for moving them rearferent weaving stagesof different heights to the fell of the cloth at the predetermined times.

6. In a loom having a reed and other means for making cloth, longitudinal pile gauge wires extending through the reed dents, individual wires of said pile gauge wires having aplurality of weaving stages gf different heights which may be predeterminedly positioned at the fell of the cloth during weaving, a cross bar over which pile gauge wires are looped, a pattern mechanism,

and rigid connections between the cross bar and i the pattern mechanism to positively move'the pile gauge-wires in both directions according'to 1 the design determined by the pattern mechanism.

7. In a 'pile loop fabric loom'having a reed and other means for making cloth, longitudina-l pile gauge wires extending through the reed dents,

' individual wires of .a plurality of weaving stages of different heights saidpile gauge vwires having which maybe predeterminedly positioned at the fell of the cloth during weaving, a pattern mechanism, connecting members between the gauge i wires and the pattern mechanism toprovide a ferent heights to the fell of the cloth at the pre- 3. In a loom having a reed and other means for making cloth, longitudinal pile gauge wires extending through the reed dents. individual wires of said pile gauge wires having a plurality of weaving stages of different heights dents, individual having a plurality which may I lost motion as the wires .are drawn forwardly,

said connections and pattern mechanism posi-' tively withdrawing the wires within the fabric being woven.

8. In a'multi-weft carrier loom having a reed and other means for making cloth, sets of longitudinal pile gauge Wires extending through the reed dents, individual wires of said pile gauge wires having a free end and a plurality of weaving stages of diiierent heights which may bepredeterminedly positioned at the fell, of the cloth during weaving, shedding means, and pattern means for moving said gauges rearwardly Within the cloth during weaving. 9. In a multi-weft carrier loom having a reed and other means for making cloth, sets of longitudinal pile gauge wires-extending through the reed dents, individual wires of said pile gauge wires having a free end and a plurality of weaving stages of 'difierent hei hts which may be predeterminedly positioned at the fell of the cloth .during weaving, shedding means, and pattern -means including a flexible connection for moving j said gauges rearwardly within the cloth during weaving.

10. In a loom having a reed and other means for making cloth, longitudinal non-sheddable pile gauge wires extending through the reed ent weaving stages of different heights to the fell of the cloth at the predetermined times.

11. In the manufacture of uncut pile fabrics on a loom having a movable weft carrier, the steps which include providing warpwise extending gauges at least some of said gauges individually having a plurality of weaving heights, laying wefts on both sides of the gauges, interlacing warps with some wefts to formground, leaving other wefts free of the ground in the pile area, interconnecting the ground and ground free wefts on opposite sides of the gauges with pile yarn to form pile loops, and moving gauges which individually .have a plurality of weaving. heights warpwise to present gauge portions of different heights to subsequently interconnected ground and free wefts to form pileloops of different heights with a single pile yarn.

12. In the manufacture of uncut pile fabrics on a loom having a pair of simultaneously movable-weft carriers and non-sheddable weft separating longitudinal gauges at least some of said gauges individually/"having a plurality of weaving heights, the steps which include laying wefts simultaneously on both sides of the gauges, interlacing sonie wefts with ground warps'to form ground and leaving other wefts free of the ground, interconnecting ground and ground freeweits on opposite sides of the gauges with pile yarn to form pile loops, moving gauges which individually have a plurality of'weaving heights warpwise to interpose between the ground and free wefts which are to be interconnected different heights of gauges, whereby pile loops of different heights are formed with a single pile yarn.

13. In the manufacture of pile fabrics on a loom having a movable weft carrier and a plurality of non-sheddable warpwise-movable longitudinal gauges individually having a plurality of weaving heights, the steps which include laying wefts on both sides of the weaving portions of the gauges, interlacing warps withsome wefts to form ground and leaving other wefts free of the ground in the pile area, interconnecting ground and ground free wefts on opposite sides of the gauges with pile yarn to form pile: loops, positioning the non-sheddable movable gauges so that pairs of interconnected ground and ground-free wefts are separated by different heights of gauge separated by different heights of gauge warpwise I of the fabric, whereby pile loops of different heights are formed both weftwise and warpwise of the fabric.

14. In the'manufacture of. pile fabrics on a loom'having a pair of simultaneously movable weft carriers and non-sheddable longitudinal gauges movable in a longitudinal direction and individually having a plurality of vertical weaving stage dimension near the fell end, the steps which include laying a pair of wefts simultaneously one on each side of the gauge within the weaving stage, interlacing one ofthe wefts of the pair with warps to form ground, the other weft being left free of the ground in the pile area, interconnecting ground and free wefts with pile yarn to form pile loops, moving the non-sheddable movable gauges warpwise so thatpairs of interconnected ground and ground-free wefts are separated by different heights of gauge weftwise across the fabric, and then moving non-sheddable pile gauges warpwise of the fabric to present other different heights of individual gauges to the weaving point, so that successive pairs of ground and ground-freewefts which are interconnected by the same pile yarns are also separated by different heights of gauge warpwise of the fabric to form pile loops of different heights both weftwise and warpwise of the fabric.

15. In the weaving of pile fabrics on a loom having a pair of simultaneously movable weft carriers, the steps which include providing nonsheddable warpwise extending gauges individually each having a plurality of Vertical dimensions at the weaving end and movable warpwise to present different dimensions at the weaving stage, laying'wefts simultaneously on opposite sides of the gauges, interlacing some wefts with warps to form ground and leaving some wefts free of the ground pile area to form pile supporting wefts, interconnecting ground wefts on one I side and pile supportingwefts on the. other side of the gauges with pile yarn to form pile loops, moving individual gauges warpwise to present different heights of gauges at different times at the weaving stage, whereby pileloops of different heights are formed.

16. In the weaving of pile fabrics face to face individually having a plurality of heights at they: weaving end and movable warpwise to present different heights at the weaving stage, laying wefts simultaneously on opposite sides of the gauges, interlacing some wefts on each side with -warps to form ground fabrics and leaving some wefts on each side free of the ground pile area to form pile supporting wefts, interconnecting ground wefts on one side and pile supporting wefts on the other side of the gauges with pile yarn to form pile loops, moving gauges warpwise to present different heights of individual gauges at different times at the Weaving stage, whereby pile loops of different heights are formed.

17. In a loom for weaving, means for inserting weft threads, a reed, longitudinal pile gauge wires having free ends extending through the reed dents to support pile supporting wefts which serve to form pile loops of different heights, said pile gauge wires individually having a plurality of weaving stages which are progressively smaller toward the free ends of the gauges and which may be predeterminedly positioned at the fell of the cloth during weaving, and means for causing individual pile gauge wires to predeterminedly present different weaving stages of different heights to the fell of the cloth as the weaving progresses and as the cloth moves away from the free ends of the gauges.

W. ROLLIN KEEN. 

